UPSC CDS Salary 2025: Pay Scale, Allowances & Benefits

UPSC CDS Salary 2025: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Defense Services (CDS) examination twice a year for candidates who want to join the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. This is one of the most sought-after exams because it offers the pride of being part of the Indian defence force. The UPSC CDS Salary per month varies depending on the rank of the selected candidates.

*Steps to practice unlimited CDS questions are mentioned below.

However, qualified applicants will undergo Cadet training, during which they receive a fixed stipend equal to the base salary in Level 10. The starting salary, i.e. the training stipend, is 56,100/ per month. The CDS pay package includes basic pay and several allowances such as DA, High Altitude Allowance, etc. Read on and find complete details on UPSC CDS Salary 2025.

UPSC CDS Salary Details 2025

Candidates are often attracted to the CDS exam because of the lucrative salary that the job positions offer. The fixed stipend is the starting salary of officers working at pay level 10. However, the training period is not counted as commission service. Once successfully commissioned, applicants will be eligible to get all the arrears based on the pay matrix with effect from the training period.

CDS Salary Structure

Check the UPSC Combined Defence Service (CDS) salary structure and pay scale in the table below:

Military Service Pay (MSP): Officers in the ranks of Lieutenant to Brigadier also receive a monthly Military Service Pay of INR 15,500.

*Steps to Practice UPSC CDS Exam Questions

Access the unlimited CDS Exam questions from Embibe and improve your preparation level. Follow the below-mentioned steps to practice the CDS Exam questions here.

• 1st Step: Visit Embibe’s official website, i.e., embibe.com.
• 2nd Step: Use the mobile number/email to log in.
• 3rd Step: Click on the menu bar “Getting a Government Job”.
• 4th Step: Select the Goal “Defence” from the dropdown and click on “Next”.
• 5th Step: Search and select “UPSC CDS” on the search bar and click on “Next”.
• 6th Step: Select the preferred language and click on “Done”.
• 7th Step: Click “Practice” from the header Section.
• 8th Step: Scroll down to the “Subjects” section.
• 9th Step: Click on any UPSC CDS Exam subjects.
• 10th Step: Scroll down to click on the chapters from the selected subject to begin the practice.

UPSC CDS Allowance and Perks

Officers in the Navy, Army and Air Force are entitled to the following allowances and perks in addition to a decent salary:

• Qualification Grant: The government has proposed the Higher Qualification Incentive (HQI), which eligible employees will receive as a special allowance. The HQI is yet to be issued by the Ministry of Defense.
• Flying Allowance: Pilots who are serving in pay level 10 or above are eligible for a fixed allowance of Rs. 25,000.
• Dearness Allowance: Candidates who get selected through the CDS exam will be eligible for dearness allowance at the same rates and under the same conditions that apply to civilian personnel. The dearness allowance keeps changing from time to time.
• Kit Maintenance Allowance: CDS employees receive a kit maintenance allowance of Rs. 20,000 per year.
• Field Area Allowance: According to the rank and area of posting, officers are entitled to field area allowance. The field area allowance of pay level 10 and above are tabulated below:

• Siachen Allowance: Officers who are posted in the Siachen region receive an allowance of Rs. 42,500 per month.
• High Altitude Allowance: Like Siachen, officers of pay level 10 and higher receive a monthly allowance. The high altitude allowance for officers is:
  • CAT I- Rs. 3,400 (per month)
  • CAT II- Rs. 5,300 (per month)
  • CAT III- Rs. 25,000 (per month)
• Uniform Allowance: CDS officers receive a uniform allowance of Rs. 20,000 per month.
• Transport Allowance: The transport allowance varies depending on the officer’s posting. The transport allowance for different places is:
  • Higher TPTA cities: Rs. 7,200+DA per month
  • Other Places: Rs. 3,600+DA per month
  • Officers of pay level 14 and above can use the official car provided to them or take an allowance of Rs. 15,750+DA per month
• Children Education Allowance: Officers of pay level 10 and above receive a children’s education allowance of Rs. 2,250 for the eldest two children which is applicable from nursery to Class 12.
• Ration: Officers in field areas are entitled to ration.

Important Points Regarding TPTA:

• Higher TPTA cities are Patna, Lucknow, Kolkata, Delhi, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Surat, Kochi, Bengaluru, Kozhikode, Indore, Nagpur, Pune, Greater Mumbai, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Ghaziabad, and Chennai.
• The TPTA allowance is admissible to those officers who have been provided with the facility of government transport.
• The physically disabled officers will be paid at a double rate with a minimum of Rs. 2,250 + DA per month.

UPSC CDS Additional Benefits

Apart from the allowance and perks, the officers recruited through the CDS exam are also eligible for extra benefits, which are really enticing for candidates preparing for the exam. The different additional benefits for CDS officers are as follows:

• Army, Navy, and Air Force officers get an annual leave of 60 days per year and casual leave of 20 days per year.
• Officers can encash the annual leave of up to 10 days and get a Leave Travel Concession of 60 days in a career to cover incidental travel expenses.
• Officers and their immediate family members get benefits such as medical insurance, group insurance scheme, accommodation on concessional rent, family assistance scheme, canteen facilities, group housing scheme and so on.

UPSC CDS Officer Ranks and Career Growth

Candidates must have a better idea of the career growth of a CDS officer. It goes without saying that career growth in the Indian Armed Forces is exceptional and also brings more responsibility. The CDS career growth and promotion criteria are given in the table below:

CDS Career Growth in IMA and INA

Selected candidates are initially appointed as cadets at the Indian Naval Academy. After successfully completing 18 months of training, cadets are promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant.

CDS Career Growth in AFA

Group Captain (select) and higher ranks are only granted through selection. Officers who excel in their duties have a good chance of being promoted to the air ranks of Air Commodore, Air Vice Marshal, Air Marshal, and Air Chief Marshal.

CDS Career Growth in OTA

Candidates selected in OTA are enrolled as gentlemen/Lady Cadets. They go through 49 weeks of training. Gentleman/Lady Cadets who successfully complete their training are awarded a Short Service Commission in the rank of Lieutenant (SSCOs). OTA candidates may be promoted to the following ranks in the CDS:

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FAQs on UPSC CDS Salary 2025

Given below are some of the most frequently asked questions about UPSC CDS Salary:

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